I was just curious as a student who was previously accepted and interested in attending. Yet after reviewing the numbers over the past few years, it didn’t seem like a safe option and opted to go elsewhere. I noticed up until around 2015-2016 Bard’s acceptance rate hovered around 25-30%, putting it alongside Vassar and below Skidmore (in terms of admit rate), but has since gone above 50%. Even with an influx of donations putting the school in financially good standing and world-class faculty and academics, Bard still seems to be slipping away. For my class, 2024, and for the past few classes, they haven’t released much on the admitted class. I’m sure due to Covid-19, they will not release the numbers, but even then they have failed to report CDS to the public.
I personally think Bard remains a wonderful institution and probably would’ve gone myself if I didn’t have cheaper options at peer schools. I am just genuinely curious if anyone has any information on why this may be.
I would read the student reviews on Niche to get a good feeling for the culture of the college. Seems to get a lot of mixed reviews…
Don’t know much about it. It did come off any potential list when I read a few years ago about a program which sends ex-Con’s to Bard free of charge. There is no way I would risk that type of interaction with a young kid at college. Just. No. Way.
https://bpi.bard.edu/press-clip/how-a-liberal-arts-education-helps-felons-become-civic-beings/
I’m sure for some that isn’t an issue at all. For me, as a parent, it was a non-starter.
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As a parent of a current student who is loving his Bard experience, I have been very impressed with the college. The faculty is outstanding, supportive, and accessible to undergrads–he is a music major, and has had the opportunity to study with and be mentored by internationally renowned artists. The campus is stunning and expansive and the facilities (such as the Frank Gehry designed arts center, and modern science building) exquisite. He has made friends from all across the country, with a variety of majors/interests. Bard has a vigorous curriculum, which encourages “cross-pollination” across disciplines & encourages students to engage with others who may not be in their specific major, etc.
FYI, the Prison Initiative program is highly selective, and occurs at the prison-- participants do not travel to Bard’s campus!
Best wishes with your search,
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My LAC kid researched but ultimately did not visit Bard. Bard seems to attract a certain kind of student, you either love it – or not. I think of Bard as similar to women’s colleges which tend to have generally higher acceptance rates than their academic peers because students have to affirmatively seek out the school rather than just include it as part of a swath of schools. My humanities professor spouse knows several colleagues at Bard and has tremendous respect for them, the academics at Bard are excellent. The culture is distinctive – applying for one’s major, intensive focus on arts, charismatic president. Bottom line, my view is that acceptance rate is not a marker for excellence, it is a marker for popularity, and Bard is a distinctive flavor which does not appeal to everyone.
And the Bard Prison Initiative – BPI – sets the standard for that type of program. Highly selective admission, classes taught by regular professors, and the student earns a Bard BA upon completion of their program. The idea is that a liberal arts education is itself transformative. And classes are taught inside the prison, not outside.
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@hopefulx3 I saw a Netflix documentary about this program! I wasn’t sure if it was the same college, but I believe so as the prison was in New York State.
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Bard had/has a different model of financial sustainability. This article is several years old, but outlines some of their issues:https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/08/24/bard-college-faces-liquidity-and-strategy-questions
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This is a very interesting place with great academics. It definitely has its own vibe unique elements. elements… I have known several kids who have attended and really loved it. There is a lot of self selection involved in who spplies and attends. If you visited and liked it, there is no good reason to take it off the list!
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Hope you understand that the Bard Prison Initiative takes place at the prison, non of the convicts are actually on the campus. It’s very apparent if you google it.
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I’m also very interested as to what happened when it comes to admit rate and rankings. Bard used to be ranked ~32 on US News (I think), now it is around 62. The admittance rate also nearly doubled during the past 5 years, despite having lots of donations. Botstein is known to hate the ranking system for colleges, so it may be that he refused to give any information to US News, so they just plummeted their ranking. Because of that, fewer people applied, which means they needed to accept more people. If that’s the case, then it does not affect the environment of the school. If there are other reasons, then that might be of some concern.
@happytimes2001 To add to @luca2fish late to the party… the BPI program is for the currently incarcerated. With the idea of rehabilitation versus punishment. The documentary “College Behind Bars” is a fantastic watch no matter if you’re interested in Bard or not.
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This is a Bard program run offsite, not part of the traditional campus itself. The campus is beautiful and safe.
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Bard isn’t for everyone, and the metrics that rankings use (post-graduation salaries, faculty research grants, financial modeling, etc.) don’t make it looks as good as it is. Bard is a magical place for reasons that can’t really be measured. Prospective students should visit before writing it off because of what they see online.
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No more worries about G. Gordon Liddy and the Dutchess County Sheriff raiding campus.
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The incarcerated Bard College students won their debates against Harvard and Cambridge Universities, as some of you know; also, the Bard Prison Initiative is funded by private donations, another important and well-known fact about this distinguished program.
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Bard College announced today a one billion dollar endowment campaign, of which 750 million has already been pledged. Bard College Receives $500 Million Endowment Pledge from Investor and Philanthropist George Soros
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The Bard Prison Initiative is a wonderful program run at New York state prisons.
[Oops, posted to quickly, then noticed that this had already been answered appropriately!]
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